Belen Wrestlers Heading to National Tournament in Florida

by Valencia County News-Bulletin

Belen: Three Belen High School wrestlers have been selected to the AAU New Mexico All-Star Team for 2008.

Daniel Taylor, Jamie Yalch and Tyler East will help represent New Mexico at the Disney Wrestling Scholastic Duals from June 22 to 27, in Orlando, Fla. The Scholastic Duals is one of the most prestigious and competitive tournaments in the country. It utilizes a collegiate duals tournament format, and each wrestler will have the opportunity to wrestle a minimum of 8-10 matches against some of the best talent in the U.S.

Selections were made by AAU New Mexico Wrestling.

The AAU Scholastic Duals are affectionately referred to as the "Disney Duals" due to the venue, as the competition is held at Disney World' s Wide World of Sports Complex. But there aren't any catchy songs or cute characters at the Disney Duals.

The tournament, now in its 11th year, has grown to become one of the toughest and most competitive folk style events of the year. AAU New Mexico will wear its own colors, and many states will be represented by at least one team.

The 2007 AAU Scholastic Duals attracted 30 teams in the All-Star Division and 55 teams in the Community Division. Taylor, who will attend Jamestown College in North Dakota on a wrestling scholarship in the fall, will compete in the 125-pound weight class at the Disney Duals. He won a New Mexico state title at 119 pounds in 2006-07 and competed at the Disney Duals last summer at that weight. He was an All-American at a national tournament in the summer of 2005.

Jamie Yalch won a New Mexico state crown at 189 pounds in February, after being the runner-up at that weight the previous three seasons.

East won state championships at 189 pounds in 2006 and 215 pounds this year. Yalch will compete at 189 pounds in Florida, while East will compete at 215 pounds.

New Mexico state champion wrestlers will join the Belen three at the Disney Duals, including Rio Rancho's Max Ortega and Cibola's Franco Flores.

 

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